Market & legal data in the tobacco alternatives sector in Austria

8th November 2024: Austria: The Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection has notified an ordinance to the European Commission’s TRIS database with the list of prohibited ingredients in e-cigarette and heated tobacco products. The list is already published informatively on the ministry’s website, but the intention of the notification is to create legal certainty for manufacturers, importers and distributors that the ingredients listed are prohibited and subject to the legally standardised ban.
24th October 2024: Austria: The Tax and Customs Authority has told TobaccoIntelligence that €12.5m was raised in tax revenue from heated tobacco in 2021, €28.7m in 2022 and €38.6m in 2023.
9th October 2024: Austria: Following the EU’s proposal for the revision of the 2009 Council recommendation on smoke-free environments to extend the existing restrictions to novel inhalable products and to introduce new areas in which their consumption would be prohibited, members of Parliament (MPs) from all parties spoke out against further bans. The Greens (a member of the coalition government), the Social Democratic Party and NEOS - The New Austria and Liberal Forum (opposition parties) all stressed that a reduction in the number of smokers is desirable, but this must be achieved through information and awareness work and not through bans, press reports. Johannes Rauch, the minister of health, said that the next important step is to regulate nicotine pouches and other similar new tobacco and nicotine products.
30th September 2024: Austria: The far-right Freedom Party (FPO) has won the elections with 28.8% of the vote and will now have to form a coalition government. The party has traditionally been vocal against restrictions on tobacco products and e-cigarettes, arguing for freedom of choice rather than for state intervention in the sector.
5th August 2024: Austria: The Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection has published a fact sheet on the use of new nicotine products. The document shows that heated tobacco is used daily or almost daily by 2.1% of Austrians aged 15 and over, while 1.1% use nicotine pouches. It concludes that, although the increase in the use of nicotine products is partially compensated for by their use in the cessation of daily cigarette smoking, they are also being used by young people to start using nicotine. The ministry considers the high prevalence of the use of nicotine pouches, especially among young people, to be problematic from the point of view of health, addiction prevention and addiction treatment.
4th July 2024: Austria: Following other federal states, including Upper Austria and Salzburg, the Styrian state parliament has banned nicotine pouches for under-18s and approved an age-verification mechanism. State councillor Simone Schmiedtbauer said: “As early as 2022, 13% of young people said they had consumed nicotine pouches or similar products in the past month. We are now putting a stop to this in Styria – for the sake of the health of our youngest.”
3rd June 2024: Austria: The ban on nicotine pouches for under-18s in the city of Salzburg entered into force on 1st June, press reports. The ban includes purchase, possession, distribution and consumption. While there is no prohibition at the federal level, a number of cities and federal states have passed or are working on bills to ban nicotine pouches for minors.
28th May 2024: Austria: In the run-up to “International No Tobacco Day” (31st May), the authorities of Lower Austria stressed the need for a nationwide regulation on nicotine pouches. State councillor Ulrike Königsberger-Ludwig supported the decision to include nicotine pouches in the amendment to the Tobacco and Non-Smokers Protection Act, which was adopted a few weeks ago by the Conference of State Health Officers. She said: “I very much hope that the Federal Government will accept the unanimous decision of the Conference of State Health Officers and implement it in the next few weeks.”
8th May 2024: Austria: At a conference held yesterday (7th May), state health officials spoke out in favour of a nationwide ban on tobacco-free nicotine pouches, press reports. The deputy governor of Upper Austria, Christine Haberlander, of the ruling Austrian People's Party, pointed out that Upper Austria already has a ban for under-18s, while adding “but this is not the case in all federal states”.
17th April 2024: Austria: After a number of federal states have passed or are working on bills to ban nicotine pouches for minors (under 18) – such as Upper Austria, Tyrol, Salzburg and Styria – a representative from the ruling Austrian People’s Party told the press that they stand by the current regulation, which has no age limit at federal level.
28th March 2024: Austria: As of 1st April, heated tobacco tax will increase to €180 per kg. The tax will increase gradually to €197 per kg from 1st April 2025 and €215 per kg from 1st April 2026.
13th March 2024: Austria (Styria): The Austrian government has notified a bill to the European Commission's TRIS database to amend the Styrian Youth Act to prohibit the purchase, possession and consumption of nicotine pouches and other nicotine-containing products by children and adolescents (up to the age of 18). The standstill period ends on 13th June 2024. Styria is a region in the south-east of Austria with a population of around 1.2m.

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